SOVIET REFUGEES DELAYED

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow will not process Soviets who want to settle in the United States as refugees until Oct. 1 because a huge surge in immigrants has exhausted government funds, an embassy spokeswoman said Friday. Armenians, who were the hardest hit by the move, criticized the decision. Embassy spokeswoman Marguerite Squire said the United States would continue to accept applications from Soviets wishing to resettle in the United States, but on Monday embassy officials began postponing the last step in approval of the applications, pre-departure interviews.